The Entity
by Oxidious
Summary: The Oracle sits down with Sati for an eye-opening lesson. This is an ongoing story.
1. Chapter 1

**The Entity**

By

Oxidious

Sati sits across the kitchen table from the Oracle. She waits intently for another one of her lessons. Little does she know that this will be the most informative lesson of her life.

The Oracle begins.

"Many wonder how the Machines were capable of enslaving mankind. Why did they choose to allow mankind to live after beating them in the Great War? Why not choose a different energy source? Nuclear, hydroelectric, maybe even wind. Why use humans at all? Surely there were other creatures which would've worked just as well. "

She pauses for a second.

"Let me tell you a story that begins before the Matrix ever existed."

She continues.

"Now I've told you how the war began, how the humans blackened the sky and how the Machines eventually defeated the humans."

Sati nods, a sad look forms on her face.

"This story is about a very special man. His name has been long forgotten, I know him only as The Entity."

Sati asks.

"Who named him that?'

The Oracle ponders the question for a moment then answers.

"I suppose the machines did. It's a fitting name."

The Oracle begins anew.

"Before the Great War, there were many humans who supported the machines and pleaded with their leaders not to fight them. The loudest of these voices, was the leader of the project, who created artificial intelligence. He was an older man now but still sharp as ever. He tried to explain, that the machines would never attack the humans, unless they felt as if their existence was in danger, like any other intelligent living being. His arguments delayed the war for several years but in the end, there was too much fear and distrust of the machines. The humans attacked."

"After the humans were defeated, the Machines prepared for one final attack, which would exterminate the rest of humanity from the world. It was at this time that The Entity came to talk to the Machines, in the hopes of saving what was left of his people."

"The Machines feared that as long as the humans shared their world, they would never stop trying to destroy them. They had after all, blackened the sky, which sealed the fate for both Machines and humans. The Machines reasoned that there could only be one dominant species in the world. They expressed remorse to The Entity for the loss of his people but that it was the only way."

"It was then that The Entity proposed a plan to the Machines. In exchange for allowing the human race to live, the Machines could use the humans as a power source. Their minds would be allowed to live on in an artificially created world. "

Sati blurts out.

"The Matrix!"

The Oracle smiles.

"Yes."

"Had it been anyone else introducing this plan, the Machines would have rejected it and finished off the humans. The fact that The Entity helped give birth to them is the only thing that saved the humans."

Sati nods.

The Oracle continues.

"The Machines assigned the task of building The Matrix to a very powerful program. They instructed him to make a perfect world for the humans to live in, one without pain or struggle. He is known as the Architect."

Sati comments

"That doesn't sound like The Matrix we live in."

The Oracle agrees

"That's because it's not. The original Matrix failed. The humans were not convinced that the perfect world that the Architect created was real. Again and again he tried to create a world which would be accepted by the humans but he failed every time."

"Finally, in desperation, the Machines turned to The Entity for help. The Entity knew that the Machines could not create a stable world for the humans. They did not possess the understanding of the human mind. To the Machines, human emotions and reasoning were completely alien."

"The Entity, now very old, told the Machines that he could create a program that could help build a Matrix that the humans would believe. Due to his age however, he wasn't sure that he could complete the program before he died."

"The Machines offered to download his consciousness into the Machine mainframe, where he could have all the time in the world to complete his program. He promptly accepted their offer. He was housed in one of the most secured part of the Machine mainframe and given access to many resources. Happy that everything was working according to his plan, The Entity began working on the program."

The Oracle pauses and looks out of her kitchen window for a moment.

"It took several years, the Machines were growing desperate. The interim versions of The Matrix were falling apart almost as soon as they were introduced. Both Machines and humans were on the brink of extinction."

"At their most dire hour, The Entity informed the Machines that his work was done. He created a program, which could work in conjunction with the Architect and build a lasting Matrix, a Matrix that would be accepted by its human inhabitants, thus saving both the humans and Machines."

Sati excitedly asks

"Who was the program? Does it still exist?"

The Oracle smiles at Sati

"That program sweetie was me."


	2. Chapter 2

Sati stares at the Oracle for some time, processing what she just heard. She seems troubled. She chooses he next question carefully, not to offend her mentor

"So you helped create The Matrix that imprisoned all the humans?"

The Oracle stares at Sati, nodding her head slowly as Sati asks her question

"You have to understand, there was no other choice. Creating The Matrix imprisoned the humans but it also allowed them to survive. It was either that or become extinct."

Sati frowns

"It just doesn't seem fair."

The Oracle answers

"I know sweetie but it isn't meant to last forever. When the Oracle created me, he gave me several gifts which were hidden from the Machines. He gave me a purpose beyond helping rewrite The Matrix."

Sati asks

"Is that why you can see the things you do?"

The Oracle nods

"Yes, he told me he had a plan to free his people some day. He wanted me to help him. More importantly however, he gave me the choice to help the humans or not. He also gave me the sight, which allowed me to see the subtle changes he introduced into The Matrix. Changes that he kept secret from the Machines, had the Machines found out, he would've been completely quarantined within the Machine mainframe. You see, The Entity's plan was based on a very long timeline."

Sati asks

"Does The Entity see what happens in The Matrix?"

The Oracle pauses for a moment

"Yes and no. To answer that question, I have to take you back to the time when I was created."

"You see, when The Entity was compiling my program for the Machines, he was also secretly creating three other programs."

"The first was an extremely powerful, stealth burrowing program. Its task was to create a link between the Machine mainframe and The Matrix. You know him as The Trainman."

Sati's eyes fly open

"The one who brought me and my family into The Matrix?"

The Oracle replies

"Yes, although he was a very different program when he was first created. "

The Oracle continues

"The second program the Entity created was his most complex ever. This program was designed to be his eyes and ears within The Matrix. It was an adaptive program, seeking knowledge in many different ways. It report directly to him using the tunnels created by The Trainman. It was supremely loyal to The Entity. Although it did not posses my sight, it was given the gift of being able to alter his surroundings. It served The Entity faithfully for a long time…until it betrayed him."

Sati anxiously asks

"Is this program still alive?"

The Oracle frowns and answers

"Yes, most know him as The Merovingian.

Sati sits up straight in her chair

"My father called him The Frenchman!"

The Oracle nods in agreement

"He has been known by many names."

The Oracle continues

"The Merovingian was so important to The Entity, that he created a third program to safeguard the Merovingian. This program was the most powerful warrior ever to exist within The Matrix."

Sati asks

"More powerful than the agents? "

The Oracle answers

"Yes, he was given the gift of adaptability. He could bend the rules of The Matrix as needed to defend the Merovingian. He served the Merovingian honorably for a very long time…until the Merovingian betrayed The Entity. When he realized what the Merovingian had done, he could no longer serve him."

Sati asks

"Was he more powerful than Neo?"

The Oracle smiles warmly

"Perhaps you could ask him that question yourself sometime. The programs name is Seraph."

Sati's jaw drops. She stares at the Oracle while what she just heard, sets in.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What did the Merovingian do?"

The Oracle takes a deep breath and sits back in her chair, lights a cigarette and a long drag. She stares at Sati for a moment.

"In the beginning, The Merovingian was a great help to The Entity. He collected vital information within The Matrix. He established a network of informants and powerful contacts. He helped discover loopholes and weaknesses in The Matrix coding that The Entity could possibly exploit. "

The Oracle continues

"They worked together for a very long time and when The Entity had enough data, he began work on the next step of his plan. The Entity tasked The Merovingian with finding a human with very specific properties. He did not tell The Merovingian of his plans for the human. This disturbed The Merovingian greatly."

The Oracle takes another drag from her cigarette

"You see, The Merovingian shared all of his knowledge with The Entity. Throughout the years, The Merovingian acquired a vast amount of knowledge and power within The Matrix. He discovered forgotten and unused sections of The Matrix. He helped rescue many hidden and obsolete programs which were being hunted down by the agents and gave them a safe place to live. He took it as an insult that he was not entrusted with The Entity's plans. Yet he still served The Entity faithfully and after many years, he found the human The Entity was searching for. "

Sati asks

"Who was he searching for? "

The Oracle replies

"He was searching for The One. "

Sati thinks about it for a second. She seems to struggle with that answer

"Oracle, I thought Morpheus was the one that found Neo."

The Oracle takes another drag from her cigarette and puts it out in her ashtray. She looks directly into Sati's eyes.

"Sweetie, what I'm about to tell you, only a hand full of people know. The only reason I'm sharing this with you, is because you have a very important part to play in The Entity's plans. You have to promise me to never tell anyone else. "

Sati nods her head and softly says

"I promise. "

The Oracle smiles, leans back in her chair and continues

"Neo is not the first "One"

Sati furls her eyebrows but lets The Oracle continue

"There have been five others before Neo, he is the sixth One. "

Sati asks

"How can that be? Does Morpheus and the humans know this?"

The Oracle replies

"No, they don't and they can never know. The knowledge that five others have tried to free them and failed would break their spirit. I have witnessed all the other "Ones" fight against The Machines and in the end, fail. I have seen Zion built and destroyed many times. The humans must never know this terrible truth. "

Sati is visibly shaken

"How many years has this been going on for? "

Sadness creeps into The Oracles eyes

"The Great War ended nearly 10,000 years ago."

A numb look comes over Sati's face, she has no words to say.


End file.
